Patent classifications
A61F2005/563
Dynamic mandibular and lingual repositioning devices, controller station, and methods of treating and/or diagnosing medical disorders
Mandibular repositioning devices have a mandibular piece having a first teeth covering and having a housing proximate each of a left molar portion and a right molar portion, a protrusive flange extending cranially from each housing, and a maxillary piece having a second teeth covering and having a housing proximate each of a left molar portion and a right molar portion. Each housing encloses a power source electrically connected an on-board circuit board and the housings of the maxillary piece further have the power source electrically connected to a motor operatively connected to a drive for anterior and posterior movements of the mandibular piece. The maxillary piece sits on the mandibular piece with the driver operatively engaged with the protrusive flange. The protrusive flange has a concavely-shaped anterior surface mated to a convexly-shaped head of the driver shaped to match the concavely-shaped anterior surface of the protrusive flange.
Automated method of manufacturing oral appliances
Disclosed herein are methods of manufacturing an oral appliance, the method comprising the steps of: a) importing into a computer aided design (CAD) computer program a digitized data set obtained from a three-dimensional scan of a patient's dentition; b) preparing a three-dimensional electronic model of the patient's dentition; c) subtracting the three-dimensional electronic model of the patient's dentition from an image of a solid block to obtain an appliance data set; and d) manufacturing a dental appliance in accordance with the appliance data set. Also disclosed are devices made by the above method, and methods of treating a condition, for example a sleep breathing disorder, by using a device made by the above method.
NOVEL DEVICE AND METHOD FOR THE TREATMENT OF TEMPOROMANDIBULAR JOINT DISORDER
A dental device for treating temporomandibular joint disorder and associated symptoms. The device is a plurality of oral appliances produced in sequence via data from bite registrations as bite position changes while progressing through wearing said sequence of appliances. The appliance may securely attach to a plurality of teeth and contains an occluding surface which contacts the opposing arch of teeth. The appliance equilibrates the occlusal contacts and at least reduces protrusive interferences and/or lateral excursive interferences of the occlusion. As a patient wears the appliances, the mandible may passively reposition into a more comfortable position. The device enables an improved method compared to existing methods for treatment of TMJ disorder and associated symptoms. Improved methods of manufacturing were designed using computer implemented methods of design and manufacturing, and a method for adjusting the mandibular position via of bite registrations or minor adjustments to the occlusion of the device.
HEAT MOULDABLE MOUTH GUARD
The present disclosure relates to heat mouldable mouth guards, to methods for using the mouth guards, and to methods for producing the mouth guards. In certain embodiments, the present disclosure provides a heat mouldable mouth guard, the mouth guard comprising: an inner framework comprising a semi-rigid thermoplastic; and an outer layer comprising an elastomeric thermoplastic which has a melting temperature higher than the semi-rigid thermoplastic of the inner framework, wherein the outer layer substantially encapsulates the inner framework.
System and method of manufacturing a mouth piece
The present invention relates to a system and method of manufacturing a mouth piece by 3D printing a 3D printer readable file encoding the mouth piece, the method comprising steps of: obtaining a scan file comprising physical data representing a user's teeth and gum line using 3D scanner means (100); removing outlier data from physical data in the scan file; generating representative geometrical data of the curvature of the user's teeth and gum line from the physical data; generating a virtual base model representing a mouth piece from the physical data and the representative geometrical data, the virtual base model having customisable dimensions (101); removing selected regions from the mouth piece represented by the virtual base model (102); and from the virtual base model, generating the 3D printer readable file encoding the mouth piece for printing on 3D printing means (103). The present invention provides a computer implemented development environment adapted with user interface means providing an operator with the ability to customise the mouth piece as required.
Wax-based compositions, articles made therefrom, and methods of manufacture and use
Oral treatment devices formed from wax-based compositions that are thermally stable when formed into a three-dimensional shape to a temperature of at least 45° C. and plastically deformable at room temperature (25° C.). The wax-based compositions include a wax fraction homogeneously blended with a polymer fraction. The wax fraction includes at least one wax. The polymer fraction includes at least one polymer selected such that, when the wax and polymer are homogeneously blended together, they yield a wax-based composition having the desired properties of thermal stability and plastic deformability. Oral treatment devices are dimensionally stable to a temperature of at least 40° C. without external support and can be plastically deformed in a user's mouth to become at least partially customized to the size and shape of user's unique dentition and/or an appliance in a user's mouth.
Devices and method for bruxism management
A dental appliance including a dielectric substrate with one or more electric areas having one or more integrated circuits, one or more electric lines, and optionally one or more shielding lines. The dental appliance further includes one or more ground areas including one or more ground pads, one or more sensing areas including one or more sensing pads, and optionally one or more shielding pads. The dental appliance is configured to monitor dental contact, dental forces, and/or for detecting teeth clenching and/or grinding.
MANDIBULAR ADVANCEMENT DEVICE AND METHOD
A mandibular advancement device is disclosed. An upper component and a lower component are used as splints on the maxilla and mandible. A wire may be mounted to the lower components at the molar buccal sides. The wire passes through a channel on the anterior of the upper component, in a slidable fashion. The channel may be circular or have a cross-sectional shape including a flat side. A forward shield cushions or protects the interior of the oral cavity as the wire may move back and forth. The device may be made entirely of plastic or biocompatible materials.
MOUTHPIECE
The present invention addresses the problem of providing a mouthpiece that has an excellent fit and that is not prone to breakage or deformation. This mouthpiece for solving the above problem has: a pair of mouthpiece body parts configured from an upper-jaw mouthpiece body part mounted to the upper jaw, and a lower-jaw mouthpiece body part mounted to the lower jaw; a positioning member for restricting rearward displacement of the lower-jaw mouthpiece body part; and a support part that is disposed between the positioning member and the body parts and that supports the positioning member, so as to cover a portion of a surface that faces a surface of the upper-jaw mouthpiece body part and/or the lower-jaw mouthpiece body part that is mounted to a tooth row, the support part including a material that has a different flexural modulus than the mouthpiece body parts.
Methods and devices for treating sleep apnea
An intraoral stimulation device configured to be positioned in a mouth of a patient. The device includes a sensor and one or more electrodes. The sensor is configured to monitor a position of the tongue and/or force exerted by the tongue against the sensor and to transmit a signal encoding tongue information. The electrode(s) is/are configured to deliver electrical stimuli to the patient's hard palate when the tongue information indicates that the tongue has moved from a desired position to an undesired position in the mouth. The electrical stimuli causes the tongue to move from the undesired position to the desired position.